Sydney

What exactly is love? Is it when a man and woman love each other? I understand those, but how does it function in a circumstance like this? I wasn't sure how I was supposed to reconcile my hatred for myself.
Yes, we had a strong physical attraction to one other. That could not be denied, but he did not deserve to be hated simply because he was a cunning human being. He made it apparent that he wanted my body and a wife to placate his grandfather. I knew exactly what I was getting myself into when I signed this deal. It seemed pointless to despise him for following through on his contractual commitments.
"You are very quiet today," Aiden's voice broke my reverie and I suddenly looked up from my half-eaten plate.

 We were sitting down for an elaborate breakfast at a charming cafe. He had insisted on driving around and stopped at this breakfast place. The cafe was on a cliff facing the beach and the view was simply amazing. Despite my current mental turmoil, the view was not unnoticed. Neither did I miss the gorgeous man dressed in a white shirt and khaki shorts in front of me. It had barely been few hours since I had slept with him. Yet that longing was back.

"I don't know what to say," I responded, still not looking in his eyes.

With a grin in his eye, he continued, "You can start by admiring the scenery, how good these eggs are, or how good I was in bed."

I rolled my eyes and snorted.

"Are you this narcissistic all of the time?" I asked, my arms folded.

"Well, because you've been mute for the majority of the morning, I figured it was because of me. However, I was completely unaware that I could have such an impact." He repeated it in a sarcastic tone.

I said under my breath, "Show off."

He grinned and gazed out of the window at the waves.

"It's a beautiful day. Do you know how to surf?" He inquired in a casual manner.

I looked at him, hoping to find something I could beat him at.

"I am an Australian. I grew up in a beach town. I was able to surf before I was able to walk!" I cocked my head and smirked.

His mouth was hanging open. I finally got some satisfaction from rendering him speechless, even for a little while.

"That good?" He asked raising an eyebrow.

I took a sip of my water," there are few things where I might be better than you, Mr Reiner."

I was zipping up my wetsuit over my bikini in 30 minutes. Jennifer had packed a bathing suit for me, and Aiden had all of the surfing stuff stowed in the garage, which surprised me. Even though it wasn't quite ten o'clock, I could see a few people in the sea as we went down the pure white sand. Aiden handed me a surfboard, and I tried not to stare at his wetsuit-clad figure for too long. We dove into the ocean and waited for the ideal wave to come along.
Surfing is a beautiful sport. The wave will carry you on a once-in-a-lifetime ride if you catch it just right, if you have perfect timing. That could be one of the reasons why surfing is so soothing. While Aiden was paddling out, my mind strayed to ideas for what we could do together. We were like old pals after two hours. Riding the crests of the waves. We laughed and joked about a variety of topics. Aiden had surpassed my expectations; he was excellent.

"That was a lot of fun," I said as I collapsed on the sand and unzipped my wetsuit.

Aiden took a seat next to me. He was staring at me strangely.

"I am glad you like it, and you are really good. I must admit. You are better than me."



I gave him a smug I-told-you-so smile.

"My dad who taught me surfing said that each wave was alive, and each wave was different. Surfers have to find the wave and either get one with it or completely misjudge it and get wiped out. For him, surfing was a metaphor for life. It wasn't enough to just spot the wave and jump on, you had to join it, sometimes going where it sent you, and sometimes letting it pull you against the grain. Either way, it would take the clear mind, the calm spirit, and a vision to survive a powerful chop, and both takes courage and conviction to stay balanced on the largest and fastest waves." I explained.

"Wow! That's very Zen. Your dad was a very wise man." He spoke.

I didn't respond since there were some things better left unsaid. Isn't it true that a sensible man wouldn't cheat on his wife?

Aiden abruptly asked, "Tell me about your childhood."

I cocked my head slightly.

" Why do you want to know about my childhood?"

"Can't a man know about his wife's childhood?" He grinned and tucked one of my wet strands behind my ear. "I want to know everything about you." He whispered.

I became acutely aware that we were in our bathing suits when I felt a familiar stirring in my abdomen. Except for his shorts, his magnificent figure was on full display. He had been staring at me as if I were a snack. To get rid of 'those' thoughts, I cleared my throat.

"My childhood was normal. I grew up in a small town, there is nothing much to speak about." I replied.

Why was he doing this? This was supposed to be a business arrangement. There was no place for tenderness, immediacy, or God forbid - romance.

"I like normal, I have already told you." He insisted.

So, I rambled on for a few minutes on odd details from my childhood and life in Australia. Of course, only the nice portions. There was no need to tell him about my father's infidelity, which resulted in an unpleasant dispute between my parents, which ended in their deaths.

"So do you want to surf for another hour or maybe go to a quiet spot that I know about?" he asked with a glint after I had finished talking.

I knew what he was hinting at, yet I liked the idea of finding a quiet spot.

"I would take a walk," I replied.

I had never noticed a partly overgrown ancient road before I followed Aiden down it. It led to a grassy clearing not far from the beach hidden behind the dunes. Aiden pulled out a picnic blanket and set it on the ground, which gave me the impression he had planned this. I gave him a surprised expression.

He shrugged and said, "Thought you might be hungry after all that surfing."

"Why are you doing this?" I asked, distressed.

He looked puzzled, " what do you mean?"

"Our relationship is supposed to be a business partnership. I'm your employee, and I'm taking care of your.... needs. So, why is this happening? Why are you devoting so much time and effort to...? I'm not sure what you're trying to do, but it's not working." I wasn't sure if I was on the right track. I just needed to get away from it all. Put some space between us and keep that damned heart from pounding at his every move.

His mouth curved into a wicked grin.

"Are you falling in love with me, Sydney?"

"What? No! Whatever gave you that idea?" I blurted out immediately.

"Then I don't see any problem with some surfing and a little picnic."

"Don't you find it unnecessary?"

He let out a long sigh. "I'm sick of talking about this subject. Come on, let's get back to more enjoyable topics." He lay back on the picnic blanket, his feet propped up in a calm pose, and he looked at me from top to bottom. I rolled my eyes. That was more like it. Him being his obnoxious self, at least it was easier to keep myself detached from him.